The proposed program is designed to train physician (MD) and research scientists (PhD) interested in contributing to the progress in basic or applied research in Orthopaedics. The training program will consist of a laboratory experience of a laboratory experience under the close supervision of one of a number of preceptors working in the fields of biochemistry of connective tissues, (i.e. ligament healing, cartilage healing), muscle physiology, microcirculation, transport phenomena, neurophysiology/spine, molecular biology, extracellular matrix adhesion (receptor studies), or collaborative projects between these and related fields. Research training will be integrated into the clinical training program, but no clinical duties will be required during the laboratory rotation. Formal course work is required in statistical analysis, experimental design and project development. Other course work is available for those interested at the discretion of the trainee and preceptor. Most trainees will be physicians within the orthopaedic residency training program who have expressed an interest in academic medicine, who have excelled in their house staff training and who have demonstrated capacity in laboratory research. They will be expected to present their results at national meetings such as the Orthopaedic Research Society, American Orthopaedic Association of Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, American College of Rheumatology and other major national meetings depending on the subject of their study. The primary training unit will be the Department of Orthopaedics, UCSD, which has laboratories adjacent to the UCSD Medical Center, on the UCSD campus, and at the VA Hospital in La Jolla. In addition, the department faculty collaborates with laboratories under the direction of Virgil Woods, MD, Rheumatology Division of Medicine and Robert Sh, MD, ScD Department of Bioengineering Projects involving collaboration that is more distant exist with investigators at the University of Gothenburg, Jan Friden, MD, PhD, Bjorn Rydevik, MD, PhD, Richard Gelberman, MD, at Washington University, NASA coordinated through Alan Hargens, PhD and other NIH training programs at UCSD. The clinical research center is available for hospitalization of patients participating in clinical trials (i.e., effects of spine immobilization, fracture healing, etc.).